Sudan Releases Opposition Leader Turabi

Sudan Islamist leader ‘released’

Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi has been released from prison, his family say. Mr Turabi’s son Siddig said his father had been freed and returned to his home in Khartoum without explanation.

Mr Turabi was imprisoned two months ago after calling on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to surrender to the International Criminal Court. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

“We don’t know what is going to happen in the morning but there is no guard outside the house in Khartoum,” said Siddig al-Turabi, Reuters news agency reported.

“He has been released… We are very happy.”As leader of the National Islamic Front and speaker of the Sudanese parliament, Hassan al-Turabi was a key ally of President Bashir until they split in a power struggle 10 years ago.